The present invention concerns partial genetic nucleotides of hepatitis C virus (hereinafter "HCV"), specific primers and probes, and method of determining HCV genotypes and method of detecting HCV in samples utilizing such primers and probes.
After the presentation of the partial sequence of genomic nucleotides of HCV in 1988 by the researchers of Chiron Corp., diagnostic systems were developed to detect HCV antibodies using recombinant proteins and synthetic peptides based on the nucleotide sequences. These techniques are today put to practical use in the screening of bloods for transfusion and in the diagnosis of patients. The antibody test, however, can not completely detect HCV carriers. In addition, it is not sensitive enough to judge the patients' condition in either acute or chronic hepatitis, for establishment of guidance of treatment, and for judging the effect of treatment.
As a result, besides the antibody test, diagnostic methods to detect HCV carriers were researched and developed in order to detect HCV genes with high specificity and good sensitivity. Because of the high variability of HCV, these detection systems were developed with the intention to detect conservative regions of HCV genes by comparing those sequences of HCV strains available to the public today. Though those detection methods using nucleotides really provide more useful information than methods using antibodies, there are still some cases of HCV carriers reported where there was no detection of HCV gene, thus indicating that the detection systems still do not have satisfactory performance.
Accordingly, there is desired the establishment of an improved method to detect HCV genes which covers more HCV strains.